The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), was passed on 11 September 1958 by the Parliament of India.It conferred special powers upon armed forces in what the language of the act calls “disturbed areas” in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur,Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagalandand Tripura. It was later extended to Jammu and Kashmir as the The Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990 in July 1990………

Indian scientists have discovered unexpected features of the lunar atmosphere that may change existing ideas in lunar science and amplify long-standing concerns that humans are transforming the moon through their exploratory activities………

Sachin Tendulkar was conferred with the Indian Air Force’s honorary rank of Group Captain to honour his cricketing achievements.Tendulkar is the first sportsperson to be conferred an honorary rank by IAF and the first personality with no aviation background to receive the honour. In 2008, India’s World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev was conferred with the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel of the Territorial Army……..

According a newspaper report Sri Lankan batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan suggested off-spinner Suraj Randiv to bowl a no ball to deny Indian opener Virender Sehwag his century during Monday’s controversial tri-series match in Dambulla……..

The death toll has risen to 145 whereas more than 500 people are still missing. Rescue workers struggled through piles of mud and slush looking for persons who are still missing after the Friday’s devastating cloud burst calamity.

The once picturesque landscape has turned into a disaster zone, with tossed up vehicles lying scattered and mounds of silt and slush burying houses made of mud called ‘gomfa’.

UPDATE (10th August 2010).

Three French nationals, an Italian and a Spaniard were among 23 foreigners killed in cloudburst and flash floods that devastated Leh last Friday.Three French citizens — Augavelis Henri, Hellot Jacques and Daniel Hauri, an Italian identified as Riccardo Titton and Maromas Maria Lousdes from Spain have been declared dead. Sixteen of those killed are from Nepal and two persons were from Tibet.

The toll in the tragedy has risen to 166 with 400 people still missing. 73 injured people, including security personnel, were today flown out of the region by IAF for medical help.

‘Love Flowers’ fetch up to rupees two lakhs per kg in international market and is in so much demand in China that even its soldiers are risking their lives by intruding into Indian territory in Arunachal region in search of these flowers…..

At least 114 people were killed and 340 others injured on Friday when cloudbursts triggering torrential rain, leading to flash floods and mud slides, struck Leh town in Ladakh and its surroundings, 425 km east of Srinagar.

The rains started on Thursday evening, and by 1.30 am, everything was finished.The death toll could rise further as more than 250 people are still missing….